JERUSALEM (AP) _ Israeli lawmakers are looking to take steps to prevent online defamation after an Israeli public servant killed himself over an accusatory Facebook post.
An African-American immigrant to Israel wrote a Facebook post last week accusing an Interior Ministry official of racism. Her post was shared more than 6,000 times.
Before taking his own life last weekend, the official wrote a Facebook post rejecting the claim and saying he could not bear the public shame.
The issue of racism has been on the public agenda in recent weeks since Ethiopian immigrants launched a campaign against alleged discrimination. Before the suicide, the Interior Ministry had said the American woman had tried to cut a line while waiting to renew her son’s passport.
At a discussion on the incident Wednesday, Israeli lawmakers called for Internet anti-defamation laws.
“Legislation today, not just here… around the world, lags greatly behind the advances of technology,” Cabinet minister Yariv Levin told Israel Radio on Thursday.
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